There was nothing about being a professional bowler that Tony Reyes didn't appreciate. He loved the competition and enjoyed the fame of being the only Latino bowler on the PBA Tour. He later was joined by Dino Castillo.

Of course, Reyes, who died at 38 in an accident on a freeway in Redwood City early Friday, greatly relished the perfect game he bowled in the semifinals of the 2006 Motor City Classic in Detroit, only the 18th televised 300 game in PGA Tour history. He won that title, his only one in 14 years on the tour.

Reyes was one of the more engaging athletes I've ever met. The San Jose State alum was a marvelous ambassador for his sport; he wanted every kid in America to get out there on the lanes.

In a Pacifica restaurant in 2006, he used a napkin to draw diagrams for me of oil patterns used in pro tournaments. He was excited not only about oil patterns but about the score-boosting reactive resin used on the surfaces of balls. Mostly, he enjoyed the down-to-earth people who abound in bowling.

"It's not a country-club sport, but it's a friendly atmosphere," he said. Later, at Sea Bowl, he tried to convert a 7-10 split - with two balls simultaneously - during a clinic for kids. One ball got the 10; the other slipped into the gutter. He claimed he could make the trick shot 25 percent of the time.

The previous season had been a tough one for Reyes. His father had died in a fall. His death caused Tony to miss the U.S. Open and three other events, dropping his ranking to 52nd.

Now, the rest of us are grieving. At the time of his death, he had phased out of full-time tour play over the past few years to focus on coaching and his pro-shop business. He really wanted to focus on his wife, Nicole, and their 1-year-old daughter, Gianna.

"You hear descriptions about people all the time as being 'great guys,' " PBA Commissioner Tom Clark said. "Well, in Tony Reyes' case, that is an understatement."